Our second annual Family Field Day at Laurel Hill State Park was a great success!
Local and visiting families, totaling over 100 people, enjoyed a free day of paddling, fishing, crafts, and outdoor education with MWA staff and volunteers.
With the help of several local AmeriCorps members, Penn State Master Naturalists, and Penn State Master Gardeners, folks learned how to make bird feeders out of pine cones, used pigment from mine reclamation sites to tie-dye clothing, created colorful fish prints, learned about native plants, interacted with animal pelts, and learned about birding.
Several families also enjoyed a paddling lesson from the Youghiogheny Riverkeeper. They used their new skills to explore the lake in kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats, which MWA provided at no cost for all participants. Others used complimentary rods and bait to try their luck at fishing along the dam.
Further down the Copper Kettle Trail, Carla (MWA’s director of conservation) led a macroinvertebrate lesson in the stream. Kids loved the chance to catch bugs in the water!
After lunch, a group headed to Laurel Hill’s hemlock grove to search the forest for birds and learn about the park’s magnificent old-growth trees that shade the stream.
This wonderful event is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Education Grant and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission R3 Grant.
We’d like to thank our volunteers from Pmsc AmeriCorps, Penn State Master Gardeners, Penn State Master Naturalists, our friends from Hazelbakers Canoe and Kayak Rental, G&D Market, and the rangers at Laurel Hill State Park. This day wouldn’t have been possible without your help!